The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-07-09
How Raisins are Prepared in Cal
ifornia.

The usual time for pruning raisin vines
is in December and January, says a Los
Angeles (Cal., letter. 1t may be done at
any time after the leaves fall and before
the buds start. A second or summer
pruning is practised by some. Removing
too many of the leaves exposes the berries
to sunbmn. A low, strong stump, with
short spurs, insures better development
of the fruit than does an ampler growth of
the vine. Just before the buds start the
ground is well plowed, and then irrigated
heavily. If second irrigation can be
avoided, the better; if not, there should be
given the vines just enough water to ripen
the fruit. When the berries take on a
clear, white amber color, as they do between
the first and middle of September, they are
at maturity. To make frst-class raisins
they must be fully ripe.
The picking of the grapes is done by
Chinese and Indians Some pick by the
day, others by the tray. The wages vary
from $3.50 to 50 per day. Each picker
cuts the fruit from two rows of vines as he
proceeds The punches are placed upon
trays = wooden - holding twenty pounds
each and set at intervals between the
rows. Great care must. be taken not to
destroy the bloom with the hands, as that
detracts from the appearance of the raisins.
Three trays, twenty pounds each, will make
twenty pounds Of raisins. The berries
shrink about two thirds in drying, With
favorable weather raisins will cure in about
fourteen days. When showers fall the
trays are stacked one above another, with
the sides well protected. In this position
the fruit will stand heavy rain without
detrimeRt 1t has been learned that to in
cline the trays to the sun hastens the evap-
Grafton When about half dry the fruit is
turned in body. This step requires
dexterity. An empty tray is inverted upon
full one. Four men then turn both trays
simultaneously, the full tray becoming the
empty one.
Frequently, during the process of drying
the trays are left on the ground between
the rows. Sometimes they are disposed in
an open space for the full rays of the sun
and the sweep Of warm air Mr.. Backus
arranges his trays around the margin Of
his vineyard An early custom was to
cure the grapes on the ground itself, turn
ing the punches by hand. Later, they
were laid upon paper, then upon boards,
then upon frames made of lath, Trays
are very modern invention.
The berries not being of uniform size, it
will be readily understood that they cannot
dry evenly. But before packing the mois-
ture must be equally diffused, the fragile
stems must be made pliable, that the bunch
es be not broken in packing, and the aroma
of the raisins must be developed. To ne
complish this the trays are placed for few
days in sweat-boxes, several trays in each
box. The fruit is then in fine condition
for the ultimate step-packing. Before
this is taken the raisins are assorted into
classes, called "layers," 'London layers"
and ''loose Muscatels."
After the distribution into classes the
raisins are weighed into parcels Of FIVE
pounds each. The packer puts these into
a mold and places them in lever press
until they are suitably compact. Then he
dropa them, wrapped in fine white paper
Into the box in which they are to go to
market. Boxes are graded into Sises,
holding two and half, five, ten, and twenty
pounds The last are known as whole
boxes. They contain four of the FIVE
pound packages. In the smaller boxes the
layers are separated by paper.
California rasin-makers are learning that
vines allowed to overhear produce an infe-
rior quality of raisins A larger size and
higher favor are obtained when they ma
ture only limited number of clusters.
The man who took the premium at the
Centennial exposition at Philadelphia,
vineyardist of Malaga, does not permit his
vines to exceed two pounds of grapes each,
His best raisins sell for S. per box in NAL
aga. His 81 grape is the quality so large
ly imported into the United States, and is
said to be equal to the average California
raisin. The inference is plain. Some
fifty or sixty varieties of table grapes Of
large size and of fine favor are grown on
this coast.